Pastel-tinted nostalgia prevails on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera, where socialites and silver-screen legends spent their winters in the early days of luxury tourism. The Potlatch Club, a newly restored oceanfront retreat halfway down the pristine coast, is a poignant reminder of that era. Fronting a seven-mile stretch of pink sand beach, it embodies timeless Caribbean architecture, breezy coastal elegance and elevated patrician style.
After falling into disrepair in the 1980s, the midcentury hideaway was rediscovered 30 years later by new owners Bruce Loshusan and Hans Febles. They studied the property’s history and embarked on a seven-year renovation headed up by Nassau-based interior designer Amanda Lindroth alongside Febles himself. The team saved and refurbished four original buildings, including the original clubhouse with white arches and 100-year-old chequered floors.
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
Courtesy of The Potlatch Club
The hotel’s new incarnation has only 11 keys, three whitewashed suites, three garden cottages, three ocean-facing cottages, and two villas, which include butler service. Each has outdoor space, whether a private veranda, terrace, shoreline pavilion or garden smelling of jasmine and frangipani. The retro palette includes pops of pink, coral and blue against white walls.
Outside are 12 acres of landscaped gardens and, beyond, wild nature and 135 quiet beaches. With no major resorts and hardly any traffic, the landscape is totally unspoiled.
The name ‘Eleuthera’ comes from the Greek for ‘freedom’. For years, high-profile celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Raymond Burr and Greta Garbo came to the original Potlatch to visit away from prying eyes. In 1969, Paul McCartney honeymooned here with his wife Linda, and wrote several Beatles songs on Potlatch Club notepaper, including ‘Bathroom Window’.
The hotel’s ethos informed the name, and vice versa: ‘potlatch’ is a Northwest Native American term for a feast at which the host gives away ceremonial gifts, gaining prestige. At the new incarnation, social life revolves around the Fig Tree restaurant, overlooking the pool, and Pavilion Bar, on the designated beach. You never know who will show up, barefoot and ready to reminisce.
